first Emo band..... The Smiths? [flame shield activated]

I do realize that The Smiths are more immediately branched out into Indie and Alternative music in Great Britain/Northern Ireland and Ireland, but I can't think of anything more Emo before it. It's just in a different decade and that's all really. Is that Fair Enough or an Outragous Assumption?

Also a brilliant band. One of those bands that anyone can listen to from any genre of fashion.

Bigmouth Strikes Again
There is a Light that Never goes out

*puts up flame shield*

You're being a bit... what's the word? Oh yeah, ignorant.

"Emo" is emotional hardcore, hardcore being "hardcore punk." Of course, whatever it is considered to be nowadays isn't related to whatever it was in the 80's. Technically, the first "emo" bands were Rites of Spring and Embrace.

Just sayin'.

You're being a bit... what's the word? Oh yeah, ignorant.

"Emo" is emotional hardcore, hardcore being "hardcore punk." Of course, whatever it is considered to be nowadays isn't related to whatever it was in the 80's. Technically, the first "emo" bands were Rites of Spring and Embrace.

Just sayin'.

Greatgone12

I know Emo is Emotional Hardcore, I'm not ignorant of that at all friend. I know that nobody considers The Smiths to be Emo. I'm challenging conventional thinking.

I think I'm still Right. Hardcore is relative to the decade that it's in. The Clash where considered quite hardcore by the mainstream standards of the 1980's and there studio sound isn't far off.

And yes I remember Embrace. Definitly not the first band with lyrics and music like that.

I've heard of Morrissey being called "the godfather of emo" on more than a couple of occasions.Engrish_Major

He's got to have inspired more than a couple of Emo bands.

I know Emo is Emotional Hardcore, I'm not ignorant of that at all friend. I know that nobody considers The Smiths to be Emo. I'm challenging conventional thinking.Tony-Harrison

No, you're wrong. I could say Burzum helped popularize synth pop. That would be against conventional thinking. It would also be wrong.

I think I'm still Right. Hardcore is relative to the decade that it's in. The Clash where considered quite hardcore by the mainstream standards of the 1980's and there studio sound isn't far off.

And yes I remember Embrace. Definitly not the first band with lyrics and music like that.

Tony-Harrison

You're being a bit... what's the word? Oh yeah, ignorant.

"Emo" is emotional hardcore, hardcore being "hardcore punk." Of course, whatever it is considered to be nowadays isn't related to whatever it was in the 80's. Technically, the first "emo" bands were Rites of Spring and Embrace.

Just sayin'.

Greatgone12

um yh ur right im emo/punk and the first emo band were Rites of spring and embrace =P :P

You may have a point if you're talking strictly about lyrics (though I'd say Emo has more in common with The Cure). Musically, however The Smiths are very unique and there aren't that many similarities. The Smith's didn't really tend to use dramatic changes in tempo and dynamics that emo music is known for.

Ironic to its very core. Morrisey's lyrics were, even with a melancholy tone in parts, brutally honest and was sung in such a harmonic and siren-like passion that it lures you in to his woe. Plus the guitarist is the best i have ever hear in a band, it compliments Morrisey perfectly with a upbeat mood.hongkingkong

I don't agree with the TC but you can't say that all of their songs were brutally honest. Frankly, Mr.Shankly is the perfect example. As for the upbeat mood, you do have some songs like Cemetary Gates and This Charming Man that are quite upbeat but one of their best songs There is A Light That Never Goes Out is quite depressing.

@ TC: You do not have a clear notion of what is emo do you? Just because some self-named emo bands like Hawthorne Heights and Taking Back Sunday(to name the first couple of bands that popped into my head) like to moan like they're being sodomized by a horse doesn't mean that since Morrisey also moaned and played around with his voice and that There Is a Light is a little bit depressing The Smiths are emo. They're not. They're melodramatic rock. I can't really define The Smiths' genre.

[QUOTE="Greatgone12"]

You're being a bit... what's the word? Oh yeah, ignorant.

"Emo" is emotional hardcore, hardcore being "hardcore punk." Of course, whatever it is considered to be nowadays isn't related to whatever it was in the 80's. Technically, the first "emo" bands were Rites of Spring and Embrace.

Just sayin'.

Tony-Harrison

I know Emo is Emotional Hardcore, I'm not ignorant of that at all friend. I know that nobody considers The Smiths to be Emo. I'm challenging conventional thinking.

I think I'm still Right. Hardcore is relative to the decade that it's in. The Clash where considered quite hardcore by the mainstream standards of the 1980's and there studio sound isn't far off.

And yes I remember Embrace. Definitly not the first band with lyrics and music like that.

1.) So you're admitting that your thread is worthless?

2.) "Hardcore" doesn't not refer to "Hell yeah! That **** is hardcore!" "Hardcore" refers to hardcore punk, which is different from stuff like The Clash, so whether or not the public "thinks" that the Clash is "quite hardcore" is none of anybody's concern. 

3.) No **** Embrace wasn't the first band with "lyrics" and "music" like that. They were the first band to sound different enough to be considered a different genre, no matter how useless a genre distinction it may be.

EDIT: This Embrace, and this Rites of Spring

Hardcore had nothing to do with the Clash. They existed almost completely separately from the US hardcore scene. And I'm sure he meant DC embrace, not UK embrace. Emo came out of DC, no question.NearTheEnd

I see the emo genre as a subsection of post punk/post hardcore. Let's be honest. The inception of "emo" music is within the last decade and came about mostly through poor nomenclature(sp) in anti-culture circles.

It's gotten a bit out of hand where everything is "emo".

I think the smiths would be early post punk, but that's just my opinion. If you want to take a step back from The Smiths, check out Tom Waits (a very eccentric musician that specializes in creepy carnival music played in minor scales. However, The Smiths had a very direct influence on Alkaline Trio and Bayside. Both have been pulled into the "emo" genre. Personally, I think Alkaline Trio gets my vote, but I can enjoy some Bayside as well. It's terrifying how similiar they sound. Alkaline Trio (I think) has better writing and despite only have a lineup of three people, they can create a huge wall of sound that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand out straight.

I don't discredit The Cure for their influence on the current musicians of the world. In reality all of these musicians and more have had huge impacts on today's music.